Transparency in the form of an article of jewelry for personal wear as a pendant



Jan. 22-, 1957 M. B. FLINT 2,778,208

TRANSPARENCY IN THE FORM 01- AN ARTICLE OF JEWELRY FOR PERSONAL WEAR AS A PENDANT Filed March so, 1954 wkr b INVENTOB. Maw/we 5. (ff/#72 BY ATTOQN United States Patent 1;:

TRANSPARENCY IN THE FORM OF AN ARTICLE OF JEWELRY FOR PERSONAL WEAR AS A PENDANT Maurice B. Flint, Kansas City, Kans. Application March 30, 1954, Serial No. 419,748 1 Claim. (Cl. 63-23) This invention relates to the art of jewelry and, more particularly, to an improved transparency type decorament of unique beauty and ornamental utility. Still more specifically, this invention contemplates an article of manufacture in the nature of jewelry which may be employed as a pendant upon necklaces, bracelets, earrings or the like or which, when used in conjunction with any suitable fastening means, may be employed as a brooch, charm or the like.

The primary object of this invention is to provide improved structure for transparency type jewelry employing a flat, opaque pattern, stencil, design or the like having successively superimposed on each side thereof an element of transluscent material, a member of opalescent material and a lens of transparent material, whereby upon looking through the article from one side with a source of light disposed on the opposite side one may view a silhouette of the pattern or the like disposed in apparent depth within an iridescent space.

Other important objects of this invention, including certain details of construction, Will be made clear or become apparent as the following description of the structure of the invention progresses. In the accompanying drawing:

Figure 1 is a front elevational view of the preferred form of the article of jewelry contemplated by this invention;

Fig. 2 is a cross sectional view taken on line II-II of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is an exploded, perspective view showing the various component parts of the article illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2; and

Fig. 4 is a front elevational view of the article in assembled condition but with parts broken away for clarity of illustration.

In the drawing the embodiment of an article made in accordance with this invention and to be hereinafter described for purposes of illustration, is generally indicated by the numeral 10.

Article includes a pattern, stencil or design 12, a flat,

circular, disc-like element 14 of translucent material on I each side of pattern 12 respectively, a flat, circular disclike member 16 of opalescent material on the side of each element 14 respectively opposite from pattern 12, a circular, lano-convex lens 18 of transparent material on the side of each member 16 respectively opposite from pattern 12, and a decorative, annular ring 20 of width and inner diameter adapted to circumscribe 12, elements 14 and members 16.

Pattern 12 may comprise either a thin sheet of opaque material of shape and having a number of cut-out portions 22 adapted to present the silhouette desired, or may comprise an opaque film of like configuration stamped, printed, painted or otherwise suitably applied upon the inner face 24 of one of the elements 14. Each of the elements 14 is formed of ground glass or preferably of translucent plastic material and has its inner face 24 in engagement with a corresponding surface of pattern 12.

each of pattern 2,778,208 Patented Jan. 22, 1957 Each of members 16 is formed of mottled material such as mother-of-pearl, or preferably plastic material containing pearl essence, and has its inner face 26 in engagement with an outer face 15 of the adjacent element 14.

Lenses 18 are preferably formed of glass, plastic or any other material suitable for use as a transparent lens, and each of lenses 18 has its inner plane face 28 in engagement with an outer face 17 of the adjacent member 16.

Elements 14,members l6 and lenses 18 are preferably superimposed in axially concentric relationship. Elements 14 and members 16 are ofv substantially equal diameter, equal to or greater than the largest dimension of pattern 12 and less than the inner diameter of ring 20. Lenses 18 are of diameter greater than that of elements 14 and members 16 and also greater than the inner diameter of ring 20.

As illustrated, ring 20 may comprise a pair of twisted metallic strands 30 and 32 or may be of other suitable construction providing the required strength and decorative qualities. Ring 20 is preferably provided with a small peripheral loop 34 rigidly mounted thereon for receiving a chain or other fastening element or, if desired, may be similarly provided with another form of fastener such as a hook, pin or the like.

Adjacent faces of elements 14, members 16 and lenses 18 are interconnected by any suitable form of transparent cement, and pattern 12, if formed as a separate sheet, is likewise cemented to the adjacent inner faces 24 of elements 14.

As best illustrated in Fig. 2, ring 20 circumscribes elements 14 and members 16 and is held against lateral displacement by peripheral portions 36 of lenses 18.

In use, article 10 may be suspended by a chain or other coupling interconnecting with loop 34 to a bracelet, necklace, earring or the like, to form the decorament thereof. When article 10 is held with a convex face 38 of one lens 18 disposed toward a source of light and an observer looks through article 10 from the direction of the outer face 38 of the opposite lens 18, he Will observe a silhouette of the design presented by pattern 12 in a space or field rendered iridescent by the opalescence of members 16. The combined effect lenses 18, members 16 and elements 14 will also give the observer the impression of viewing the above-mentioned silhouette in a three-dimensional space having depth between the silhouette and the observer.

It will now be clear that a unique and improved article of the class described is provided by this invention. Manifestly, certain modifications and changes may be made in certain details of construction of the structure described for purposes of illustration without materially departing from the true spirit or intention of this invention. Accordingly, it is desired to be limited only by the scope of the appended claim.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

A pendant comprising a pair of circular, axially aligned, plano-convex, transparent lenses of equal diameter each having an outer convex face and an inner planar face, said inner faces being in spaced, parallel opposition to each other; a pair of circular, disc-like, opalescent elements etween the lenses and each having an outer planar face and an inner planar face parallel thereto, the outer face of each element being in engagement with the inner face of a corresponding lens, the inner faces of the elements being in spaced, parallel opposition to each other, the elements being axially aligned with each other and the lenses, the elements being of lesser diameter than the lenses; a pair of circular, disc-like, translucent members between the elements and each having an outer planar face and an inner planar face parallel thereto, the outer face of each member being in engagement with the inner v face of a corresponding element, the inner faces of the members being in spaced, parallel, proximate opposition to each other, the members being axially aligned with and of diameter equal to that of the elements; a relatively thin, sheet-like, opaque, silhouette-forming pattern between the members and oppositely engaged by a portion of the inner faces of the latter; transparent, cementitions material securing each lens to the adjacent element, each element to the adjacent member and each member to the pattern and the other member; an annular ring circumscribing the elements and the members in engagement with their circumferential margins, the ring being of lesser inner diameter than the lenses and having an inner circumferential part thereof disposed between and in engagement with a radially outer portion of the lenses; and a fastening loop of smaller diameter than the ring mounted on the outer circumferential margin of the latter.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Page Oct. 22, 1940 2,663,171 Boone Dec. 22, 1953 

